Answers For Newbies

Welcome to Tap Fever Studios! If you are new to the world of dance, we’ll try to our best to answer all of your questions. Every dance studio operates a little bit differently. The session dates, the class levels, and the styles offered can vary from place to place.
Here are some of the basics for Tap Fever Studios:

Sessions of Classes

We offer classes throughout the year, broken up into 3 sessions. Each session is 15-weeks. There is a short break at the end of each session. more info

Important Dates

Tap Fever stays open for some holidays. Make sure to check our calendar of events. You will also find our performance dates for the year. more info

Class Levels

Level 1 is for beginners, level 2 is intermediate, and level 3 is advanced. Some of our classes are mixed level, appropriate for anyone. more info

Consistency

Try to avoid being absent. Classes (aside from cardio) progressively build on technique and choreography from week-to-week. more info

Mission Statement

Tap Fever Studios provides accessible dance opportunities to people of all ages, with and without disabilities. We empower students to achieve their goals through the performing arts.

Meet Our Founder

The aspiration of Tap Fever’s Executive Director and Founder, Larisa Hall, is to give dance opportunities to anyone who wants to get on the floor.

Dance has been a part of Larisa’s life for as long as she can remember, but it didn’t come easily at first. Larisa was born with severely clubbed feet, and had to wear casts on both legs as an infant. She slept with a brace to hold her feet turned out, which the medical team hoped would correct the problem. Doctors had their doubts how well Larisa would walk, but by age 1½ she was on her feet! To assist with physical therapy for her clubbed feet, Larisa turned to dance. Although Larisa had a lot of ankle pain while growing up, she never wanted to stop dancing once she got the “fever” for it!

Dancing since kindergarten, Larisa has experienced many styles— jazz, ballet, contemporary, swing, hip-hop… she loves ’em all, but the rhythm and unique art of tap dance has always been her favorite. Born and raised just outside of Washington D.C., Larisa learned a Broadway style of tap with Mary Lou Peters, and performed in many shows. After college Larisa left the snowy east coast and landed in the Bay Area of Northern California, where she broadened her skills with more classic and rhythm steps at Pamm Drake’s Dance/10 Performing Arts Center in Alameda. With this experience Larisa received high marks in regional and national competitions and performed as a member of Pamm’s professional tap team, “The Tap Dancing Christmas Trees”. One of Larisa’s most memorable experiences with that studio was dancing in the 2001 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, just two short months after the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings.

Larisa has been in San Diego since the summer of 2003 and teaching her own style of tap, which is a culmination of the variety of dance experience she’s had over the years. Larisa’s classes focus on making technique easy to understand, and having fun! Larisa loves all types of dance and wants to share that joy with anyone who is willing to try. By opening Tap Fever Studios, Larisa has been able to help other students overcome their own obstacles and experience the joy of dance. Larisa firmly believes that anyone can dance if given the chance.

Larisa has degrees in Television and Radio Production and has worked in many areas of both fields from 1997 to 2008. Larisa’s last job (before opening Tap Fever Studios) was as a Promo Writer, an Editor, Voice Over talent, and finally, as a Segment Producer for KUSI NEWS in San Diego. Her background in performing arts coupled with the TV producing skills she acquired affords her the experience and knowledge to manage Tap Fever Studios and its performances. Larisa is always working to make Tap Fever Studios the best it can be, and to serve the community with quality dance classes for all.

Support Our Programs

Your financial support helps to fund scholarships for low income families, college students, military families, and dancers with disabilities.